Gold-amalgamator



(No Model.) v2 sheets-sheet 2.

A'. '8v J. W. CARLSON vGOLD AMALGAMATOR- No. 534,196.. `:Patented Feb. 12, 1895.-

STATES PATENT Orme ALFRED CARLSON AND yJOHN W. CARLSON, OF LAGRANDE, OREGON.

GOLD-ANIALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent o. 534,196, dated February' 12, `1895. Applitatlon filed August 6,1894. Serial No. 519.5983. (No model.)

l To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that we,-ALFRED CARLSON and JOHN W. CARLSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Lagrande, in the county of Union and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Gold-Amalgamator, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to gold amalgama- `tors; and it has for its object to effect certain improvements in machines of this character wherein simple and efficient means shall be provided for separating fine flour gold from sand, and collecting or recovering such gold.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to Yprovide a gold arnalgamator machine that shall insure the separation and collection of Iine our gold from sand,. much vof such gold being lost. or wasted in the ordinary separating processes.

With these and other objects in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gold amalgamator machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line -x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the revolving agitator or mixer. f

Referring'to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates a cylindrical receiver that is constructed of any suitable material adapted for the purposes of the machine and in any suitable size according to the capacity of the machine to be made. The receiver 1, is preferably cylindrical and is provided with an upper open end that is adapted to removably receive the circular attaching neck or flange 2, projected from the under side of the upwardly flared hopper 8. The upwardly iiared hopper 3, is inclosed at the sides and end and is open at the top,rand said upwardly flared hopper 3,-has projected upwardlyfrom the opposite ends thereof the opposite connected end plates 4, provided with the aligned bearing openings 5, in whichA are journaled the opposite extremities of the inclined drum shaft 6, on which is mounted the rotary screen drum 7. By reason of the inclined disposition of the shaft 5, the screen drum 7, is necessarily given an inclination soY as to decline from one end plate to 'the other, between which plates the said drum is arranged to rotate, and the drum essentially comprises the opposite spider frames 8, and a Wire screen or perforate metal periphery 9, fitted onto the spider frames 8. The inclined rotary screen drum 7, is open at both ends and is adapted to receive at the higher open end thereof the earthy material, sand, and water containing the gold to be collected, through the inlet opening 10, formed in one of thek end plates 4, and fitted into the inlet opening t 10, is the lower end of the inclined trough 11, into which the water and gold bearing substances are introd ucedfor the purpose of separating'the gold from the substances carrying the same and then collecting the'gold. A ro, tation is'imparted to the drum 7,.by means /of the belt 12, embracing an end pulley portion 13, of said screen drum, said belt being also passed aroundsuitably arranged idler rguide pulleys 14, mounted within the hopper 3, and drivenfrom the wheel or pulley 15 mounted on the transverse drive shaft 16, journ'aled transversely of the hopper 3, in opposite sides thereof and being adapted to be driven by any suitable gearing connections therewith.

The materials that passI into the rotary screen drum 7, are subjected tota thorough Aseparating action, and the larger gravel,

rocks, earth, dac., pass out of the lower open end of the screen drum and discharge through the discharge opening '17, formed in one of the end plates 4, and are directed off from the machine by the inclined tailings chute 18, secured to one end of the hopper 3. It will be understood, as illustrated in the drawings, that the pulleys and 'other gearing arranged within the hopper 3, are preferably inclosed at the exposed portions .thereof by the shield caps or covers 19, that keep out the sand and dirt from the gears and prevent them from clogging, and the open top of the hopper and the rotary screen therein are inclosed by the removable circular casing top' roo 20, provided at opposite ends with the flanges 21, that engage over the opposite end plates 4, to provide for removably securing the top in position while at the same time admitting of the ready removal thereof for the purpose ot gaining access to the screen or other working parts of the machine.

The fine sand and water pass through the screen after being relieved from the larger gravel, rocks, earth, dac., and pass out of the bottom of the hopper into the vertical discharge spout or tube 22, that projects from the bottom opening of the hopper and depends within the cylindrical receiver 1, to a point above the closed bottom of such receiver. rlhe said discharge spout or tube 22, carries the fine sand and water directly to the bottom of the receiver 1, into the mercury or quick silver 23, that is adapted to be placed within the bottom of the receiver 1, on the removable bottom copper collecting plate 24, that is removably litted into` the bottom of the receiver 1, to provide for collecting the gold from the tine sandand water as it is agitated around in the mercury or quick silver bath 23, and the materials that pass down through the discharge spout or tube 22, are' caused to pass directly into the bath of mercury or quick silver, by reason of the adjustable end ring 25. -The adjustable end ring 25, is fitted snugly over the lower end of the discharge spout or tube 22, and is adapted to be adjusted to bring its lower edge down to the surface of the loose mercury or quick silver 23, and the adjustment of the ring is rendered necessary according tothe quantity of mercury or quick silver, and when properly adjusting the parts of the machine together for operation.

The fine sand and water when it reaches the bath of mercury or quick silver in the bottom of the receiver 1, are thoroughly agitated or mixed into the same by means of the rapidly revolving agitator 26. The rapidly revolving agitator 26, works in the bottom ot' the receiver 1 directly below the adjustable end ring 25, and comprises a radial series of horizontal twisted blades 27, and upturned paddle projections. 2S, bent upwardly from each of the blades at their inner ends, and said agitator or mixer is adjustably mounted on the lower threaded ends 29 of the vertical agitator shaft 30, the adjustment of said agitator or mixer providing means for properly adjusting the same relative to the end ring 25, as adjusted.

Relative to the specific construction of the agitator 26, it is to be noted that the horizontal twisted blades 27 have their lower edges carried in a forward direction as the agitator revolves, thereby providing not only for a thorough agitation of the water and sand within the bottom` ot the-receiver, but at the same time, have a tendency to accelcrate` the circulation of water and sand upwardly, and out through the discharge or overiiow openings 35 formed in opposite sides of the receiver, and the upturned paddle projections 28 at the inner ends of the blades 27 serve to provide for the proper agitation of the water and sand at the center of the agitator, or directly adjacent to the shaft 30, where the twist of the blades 27 is the least. The shaft 30, is stepped at its its lower end in the bearing step 31, formed centrally on the bottom amalgamating collecting plate 24, and is journaled at its upper end in the bearing bar 32, arranged Within the hopper 3. The shaft 30, has mounted on the upper extremity thereof the` horizontal beveled gear wheel 33, that meshes with the vertical beveled gear Wheel 34, mounted on` the shaft 16, which is speeded so as to rotate the agitator ormixer at` quite ahigh rate of speed. The water and finesand after being subjected to agitation within the bottom of the receiver isworked out through the side discharge or overflow openings 35, formed in, opposite sides of thc receiver, and in being worked out through said openings, the sand and` water are brought in contact with the upperand lower amalgamated side collecting rings` 36 and 37 respectively. The rings 36and 37, are made of amalgamated copper to provide for the collection of any gold that is brought into contact therewith and the same are fitted one within the other in the lower end of the receiver 1, directly above the bottom collecting plate 24. The lower of said rings37, is stationary, and the upper rin gBG, isadaptedto have a sliding `adjustment within the lower ring, so as to cover and uncover theV lower portionv of the side openings 35, in order to regulate the rapidity of overiiowordischarge through the said openings. Thesaidnpperring` 36, is also provided upon its inner side with the annular parallel bafileilanges 38, that cause the materials to be retarded in their passage out of the receiver, and thereby insures the more thorough collection ot thel ilour gold.

After passingout through the side discharge openings 35the materials pass into the opposite curved: side inclined discharge troughs 39, that lead into a common discharge neck 40, and said opposite side inclined discharge troughs and the common neck 4O'tl1ereoi are separated into the goldcollecting pockets 41, by the curved` partition` plate or flange 41a, iitted within the neck 40, at the point where the troughs 39, lead thereinto, and removably fitted in the bottom of the `several pockets 41, are correspondingly shaped removable amalgamating plates 43, that provide for the collectionof any gold: that may have escaped amalgamation in the other partsiot' the machine.

All of the amalgamated platesand rings of the machine are removableso astoprovide for recovering the gold collected thereby and for the replacement ofthe same, and the-free mercury,or=quicksilvercontained in the bottom of the receiver 1, may be drawn out when de- IIO e 4ss j Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Let- 1. In an amalgamator, an upright receiver provided with side discharge openings above the plane of its bottom and adapted to hold a bath of mercury below said side discharge openings, a side collecting ring adj ustably fitted within the receiver above the bottom thereof and adapted to cover and uncover the lower portion of said side discharge openings, and a vertically adjustable revolving agitator or mixer mounted to rotate within the bottom portion of the receiver below the planev of the side discharge openings thereof, substantially asset forth. p

2. In an amalgamator, the combination of an upright receiver having amalgamating devices in its lower end, a removable downwardly flared hopper provided with a circular attaching neck or iiange adapted to' removably fit inside of the upper end of said receiver, opposite connected end plates arising from opposite endsof the hopper and provided with inlet and discharge openings re-i spectively, an inclined screen drum mounted to rotate between the connected end plates and having its open ends communicating withl saidinlet and discharge openings, a circular casing top 20 having end anges 21 removably iitted over the opposite end plates an inclined trough fitted into the inlet opening of one end plate, and an vinclined tailings chute disposed below projected from the discharge opening of the other end plate, substantially as set forth.

3. In an amalgamator, the combination of I ,an upright receiver provided with side discharge openings disposed above the bottom thereof, a removable hopper having a depending discharge spout or tube adapted to project into the receiver below the discharge openings thereof, a revolving agitator or mixer mounted to revolve within the bottom of the receiver belowsaid discharge spout or tube, an inclined rotary screen mounted to rotate within the hopper, and gearing devices mounted within thehopper and connected with the rotaryscreen drum and said revolving agitator or mixer, substantially as set forth. j

4. In an amalgamator, an upright receiver provided withy side discharge openings above the plane of its` bottom, a removable hopper fitted to the receiver and provided with a depending discharge spout or tube projecting thereinto, an end ring 25 adjustably fitted onto thelower end of said discharge spout or tube for vertical adjustment to the surface of the mercury contained in the bottom of the receiver, a vertical agitator shaft arranged within said discharge spout or tube, a vertically adjustable revolving agitator mounted -on the lower end of said shaft below said adjustable end ring, and adapted t-o be adjusted relatively to said end ring and a separating device arranged above the hopper, substantiallyl as set forth.

5. In an amalgamator, an upright receiver provided with side discharge openings above the plane of its bottom, an amalgamated collecting plate removably tted on the bottom of the receiver, side collecting vrings removably tted within the receiver above the bottom collectihg plate, one of said vrings being adjustable to cover and uncover the lower portion of said side discharge openings, a hopper removably fitted to the upper end of the receiver and provided with a depending disi charge spout -or tube, a separating device ar-A ranged above the hopper, and a revolving agitator mounted to work within the bottom of `the receiver below said depending discharge spout or tube, substantially as set forth.

6. In an amalgamator, the combination of an upright receiver provided with side discharge openings above the plane of its bottom, an amalgamated collecting plate removably fitted on the bottom of the receiver, amalgamated collecting rings removably fitted inside of the receiver above the bottom plate, the upper of said rings having a sliding adj ustment to cover and uncover the lower portion of said side discharge openings and pro- Vided upon its inner side with annular parf allel baffle anges, a hopper removably fitted to the upper/end of the receiver and provided with a depending discharge spout or tube, a separating device arranged above the hopper,

i a revolving agitator working within the bottom of the receiver below said spout or tube, and opposite curved dischargetroughs secured atan angle to opposite sides of the receiver below the side discharge openings thereof, substantially as set forth.

7. In an amalgamatonthe combination of an upright receiver provided with side discharge openings above the plane of its bottom, the amalgamating devices arrangedA within the receiver, opposite curved discharge troughs secured at an angle to opposite sides of the receiver below its discharge opening, said troughs being contracted into a common discharge neck and provided with separated IIO gold collecting pockets, and amalgamated collecting plates removably fitted in said pockets, substantially as set forth.

8. In an amalgamator,the combination with the receiver, the hopper, and a vertical shaft; our own we have hereto affixed our si gnatnres of a revolving agitator or mixer comprising a in the presence of two wltnesses.

radial series of horizontal twisted bladeshav- ALFRED CARLSON.

ing integral npturned paddle projections at JOHN W'. CARLSON. 5 their inner ends directly adjacent to said Witnesses:

shaft, substantially as set forth. F. S. SLATER,

In testimony that ive claim the foregoing as TURNER OLIVER. 

